It’s increasingly the posture that a lot of young kids (and adults) are having because they spend hours on a computer a day, which naturally results in a couple things:

A head that pokes out. The neck goes into flexion — and starts poking out, meaning the traps and neck muscles go into overdrive to still hold it up (stiff neck?). Some of you probably can’t get comfortable while sleeping (neck pain), or have been suffering from headaches — if so, your head position throughout the day should be the first thing you evaluate.

Sternocleidomastoid – One of the tightened, shortened muscles. From Wikipedia.

The shoulders meanwhile roll forward and get hunched — limiting their ability to rotate outwards. This is part of the reason why you’re probably getting lots of rotator cuff injuries or elbow injuries like tennis elbow.

You’re also probably getting burning between the shoulder blades, and/or numbness in one arm, hand or fingers.

If you’re a weightlifter, you most likely have experienced biceps tendonitis or repeated shoulder issues.

What’s going on:

What’s going on here is that the neck muscles are in overdrive because they are sticking out and trying to fight gravity – imagine trying to hold a 10lb ball over your head!

It’s easy when it’s straight up, but try holding it at a 45 degree angle. Hard.

Now you know what your neck is going through when it isn’t aligned properly. It’s fighting gravity constantly to try and stay aligned, which is a hell of a lot of work that your neck muscles don’t like.

The other big thing (aside from the neck) is that the shoulder blades are elevated and higher up, rather than kept back and low. Pretty standard stuff if you sit at a computer all day. It sucks.

Priority: Return the shoulder and neck alignment to normal.

How to fix it –

Stretch/relax the shortened muscles: basically all the muscles in the upper back and neck, like the trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and the chest muscles like the pectoralis

Re-align the neck and shoulders: get that neck re-aligned, and get those shoulders back and pushed back down

For your neck:

1. Static back (5 min, 20 min if you have burning between shoulder blades)

Directions:

The legs should be at a 90 degree angle, and the shoulders and head should naturally rest on the ground and flatten.

Hold for 5 minutes if you have neck pain.

If you have shoulder issues or burning between shoulder blades, hold for up to 20 minutes.

2. Static wall (5 min)

Directions:

Try to get your butt as close to the wall as possible. Flex the feet back until you feel a strong hamstring stretch.

Hold for 3-5 minutes, and keep the feet flexed back.

3. Sitting floor (5 min)

Directions:

Try to back your butt up against the wall, and then pull your shoulder blades back and let them press flat against the wall.

Flex the feet back towards you.

Make sure the head stays back pressed against the wall naturally.

Let the hands rest palm-up in your lap.

Hold for 4 minutes.

For your shoulders:

1. Wall Pec Stretch (Two sets of 30 seconds, each side)

Directions:

Put one arm against a door way or piece of furniture and stretch – do two sets of 30 seconds on each side.

2. Static back (hold for 20 mins)

Directions:

The legs should be at a 90 degree angle, and the shoulders and head shoulder naturally rest on the ground and flatten.

Hold 10 minutes. If you have shoulder issues or burning between shoulder blades, hold for up to 20 minutes.

3. Sitting floor

Directions:

Try to back your butt up against the wall, and then pull your shoulder blades back and let them press flat against the wall.

Flex the feet back towards you.

Make sure the head stays back pressed against the wall naturally.

Let the hands rest palm-up in your lap.

Hold for 4 minutes.

4. Broom external rotations

Directions:

Grab a broom or stick in one wrist, and rotate it over your shoulder. Grab with the other hand and pull upwards until you feel a deep stretch in the shoulder.

Upper crossed syndrome is modern computer user caveman syndrome. It’s what caused me the vast majority of pain in the past few years, as well as chronic shoulder injuries, neck pain, and burning upper back pain.

What’s basically going on is that the upper back and shoulders are not aligned with the rest of the body, they’re kind of just hanging there. The shoulders hunch forward, the neck muscles go into overdrive, and the neck sticks out and basically gets stuck fighting gravity.

== Pain.

This is the beginning of a long line of issues and pain. From here a number of things can happen, headaches can set in from the pinched nerves and reduced oxygen flow in the neck, constant neck pain and stiffness can occur, frozen shoulder can start setting in, etc.

For those of you with any sort of neck pain, shoulder issues (especially frozen shoulder), or even TMJ I would suggest watching this 2 minute video:

How Often Should I Do All These Things?

If you’ve been repeatedly getting the same injuries or pain, then you should probably just incorporate these into a 5 – 10 minute mobility session 5+ times a week.

A lot has changed in the last hundred years. We really do need to treat health as modern health. The requirements for modern humans to get healthy, fix pain, or lose weight are far different from someone 100 years ago.

Anyway, try those out and let me know how it goes!

And Don’t Forget This Bonus Guide

Click the image to the left for an extremely in-depth guide on neck, shoulder and back pain while at your desk.

Hi Alex,
I have this stiff neck for a long while now but I still workout. Recently while doing pullover after a 2 weeks break, I got pain in my neck. Do you suggest me to continue workout or should I wait until pain subsides completely. Apart from this pain my neck is stiff all the time. when I look up I get pain, I get stiffness in the bottom neck portion.
Your suggestion on this would be highly appreciated..Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the exercises! I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel way back in 1991 and even after treatment, according to a sports physician that I saw a few years ago, its still there. In 1997 I was doing pull down weights (not really heavy) at a gym and woke up in massive pain in my shoulder and arm, thinking I was having a heart attack. Turns out it was the C7 vertebrae cupping and hitting the nerve line, causing an interrupted signal to the upper muscles in my arms. Not a whole lot I could do, exercises, pt and unfortunately not a lot of insurance. Here I am 15 years later and after cleaning out my mother’s house after her death, the pain (and I’m sure the emotional and physical stress didn’t help) is back in the upper shoulder. It probably doesn’t help that I do research on the computer for several hours of the day. Thanks for the exercises, I will give them an honest try! Doesn’t help that I’m now 51 and about 20 pounds overweight, between the stress of the last year or so and menopause, its been a fun time 🙂 I’ll let you know how the exercises go and will pass this on to my fiance who works at a computer all day and has started experiencing elbow and neck pain.

For those of you with any sort of neck pain, shoulder issues (especially frozen shoulder), or even TMJ I would suggest watching this 2 minute video: ———————— I have this and I have to try this exercise and find the results after 5 days. I’ll be back here if I feel the relief. Sounds like everything that I felt was discussed in the video. Thanks so much!

I don’t sit near a desk too long but I get neck stiff very often. But my posture is what you described. Is there anyway to correct it…coz I try to remind myself but I find myself hunching. Which has become my normal posture.a permanent hunch….what can I do to correct my posture?

One tip is to put a 6″ thick towel behind your lower back if you’re sitting. That’ll force you to stay upright.

Also, after a long day of staying hunched over, just put your feet up on a piece of furniture and lay down flat on your back (like I showed here: http://modernhealthmonk.com/fixing-lower-back-pain/ ). That’ll help re-establish the natural curve in your back and provide some relief.

Alex,
I have a job which makes me sit in front of computer all day, i was getting this shoulder , neck & head pain. There was a time when my left hand went numb, visited ortho, neurosurgeon, TMJ and there was no use. Use to feel always a pulling in left Sternocleidomastoid. When i visited ur website and tried the massage u have mentioned it give me lot of releif. But when i try SCM neck exercises and stretches it starts paining again. Should i stop doing the strech & exercises ?

Everything was fine until i did the shoulder mobility. The one where you are pointing your thumbs backward and feeling it inside the shoulder. The weirdest sensation ive ever felt after about 15 reps it wasnt a sharp pain, but i stopped intanstly. A coldness and acheiness traveled down my shoulder into my hand and specific tender spot between my bicep and tricep.

Ive had these pain in my shoulder from doing the wrong exercise for 3 years, PTs cant seem to figure it out and it sucks not bein able to lift, hold small things or type with my left hand.

Just wanted to say a thank you for your blog as its given me more motivation to do something about my situation. I’m in my early 20s but definitely suffer from this 21st century affliction (kyphosis, “RSI” all over, and stiffness to which my doctor just replies “take some painkillers”!).

When I see manual labourers (some twice my age!) and athletes using their bodies day in and day out without problems, I realise that I shouldn’t just have to accept constant pain and persistent injuries from simple everyday activities.

2 months ago I have sensation burnt my neck,shoulder and spine I did MRI is negative I have used alots medicine, and I went many doctors nerologist, aurthophatic. physiothropy I don’t know what happend I am getting crazy I think my life is suck 🙁 I am totally depressed about this pain and burning. my work is sitting all time in computer 🙁 plezz help me I hope you give me better advice
thanks.

aHA! I knew these were somehow ALL related! I have ulnar nerve compression, Shoulder Impingement, and a nagging muscle between my shoulder blades next to my spine. The latter has been previously sussed out by a cranio-sacral therapist, however, my shoulder and ulnar nerve compression were not dealt with at the time, as I wasn’t doing a lot of sports then, thus they weren’t bothering me.

Problem is, I don’t sit at a computer, but I am on a mountain bike, ALOT. I do a lot of yoga/style stretching to try and loosen up this upper back area, and strengthening at the gym of my back, but the issue of the nagging muscle between my shoulder blade and spine and my shoulder problems have not gone away.

Thanks for confirming my suspicion that these physical problems are related!

Amazing stuff. Literally have been in pain for almost a year and found out about upper cross syndrome and your exercises are definitely firing up some muscles that have not been worked in awhile and some very tight. I did take a blow to the left rib this April and nothing was broken but when I do the elbow shoulder video exercise the other side of the sternum feels so sore and tight that it got me winded. Any idea why? Should I use ice or heat after this workout for problem areas? Thanks so much. You’re a God send

Hi,
I had rotator cuff tendonitis and now under treatment for almost 3 months but from last week have burning pain between my shoulder blades when i wake up in the morning and while at work. Is this correlated or something different
Thanks
Maxim

I have been having tingling right below my shoulders and sometimes near the neck for about 6 months now. There is no pain, just annoyance, but does that have anything to do with posture problems? I do sit at a desk all day. My shoulder blades are also sore when pressed. I am thinking its a posture problem.

Hi, i have had pain in my neck and left upper back when i turn my neck, then the pain stopped in my neck and when i turned my head my left shoulder hurt, now when i turn my head my arm and elbow is hurtiing..what is wrong?

Hey! Thank You so much for these exercises! Im adding it to my daily routine but they do feel great!!! I am 24 and have been suffering with chronic headaches, back, neck, jaw and shoulder pain on and off for 7 years and the last 3 years daily, making it almost impossible for me to sit longer than an hour without getting up and stretching. I am making sure I am frequently active though not intensely due to the pain, stretch often, have a proper diet in place, quit smoking and drinking but the pain continues, I have seen neurologists, osteos, physios, chiros but noone has been able to help me, either they make it worse, have no effect or give me pills and they all say different things, I am desperate for a solution as it is begining to feel as though I can only dream about a day without pain, do you have any idea what could be wrong with me?

Julia – I have seen many people resolve issues like this by going through a panel similar to what’s recommended here. Particularly focus on the suboccipital and sternocleidomastoid. Go through this guide completely.

Hi Alex,
I sit at a computer all day and use the laptop in bed a lot as well. Lately, my back left shoulder blade, my left shoulder (just to left of heart) and my left forearm have been throbbing for 2 weeks all day long. It is quite distracting. What do you recommend?

Definitely because of hunched shoulders. I would just try a different position – try working on your stomach for a few days and you’ll see it will go away. Or better yet, just try a standing desk. If you want to stick in the same position, you’d have to pull those shoulder blades back while working.

I’ve been hunched over a computer and bike handlebars for years, with all kinds of resulting back, neck, shoulder and arm pain and tightness. I recently got into swimming and during my last swim had to stop mid-way through a lap because of a very painful snapping sensation in my right shoulder.

I’ve been looking all over the web for stretches and exercises, but your reverse rotation/wall clock exercises are the bomb! I knew within seconds of trying them that this is what my shoulders need. Amazing! Thanks a million for sharing!

hi alex , great work, i’ve pain in my neck on the right side and not and when try to look over my right shoulder it seems stiff and also have pain below my shoulder blade too its been there for a long time, don’t know whats going on tried accupuncture but no use. if you have any excersizes please let me know.

So I been having problems with tense back,shoulders and neck muscle from lifting weights deadlift bench press and squats saw a physio therapist that originally said it was a bulged disk c7 after 5 weeks of seeing her nothing improved now I am going to another physio therapist that says it’s my muscle are very tense they hurt more like a burn it’s been 2 and a half months since the original injury do you have any advice to what I should do and should I be doing your stretches while I’m in pain Ty for your time

Please help
I had a bone fusion on c5/c6 one year ago because of this pain in my left shoulder arm and han my thumb has been numb for two year pain is horrible still in shoulder and arm butt now present in ally fingers except my pinky no the same thing is starting to happen in in the right shoulder and arm. Feels lie a charley horse

Alex,
Thank you for this article. I’ve been struggling with this exact pain for 6 months and have been doing physical therapy for almost 3 months now for this. I really appreciate all the information as I have been getting so frustrated with all the headaches, neck and back pain. This sums up all the symptoms I have had and it’s nice to finally see that someone understands.
-Lindsay

Hi Alex,
One day I woke up with sprained neck. I did exercises for relief also gave ice packs. It works for very short time. Now its been 10 days and I an totally unable to sleep. And pain is now stretched to shoulder, arms, back and head. All right side. Please help!

Thank you so much for this! I have been doing the postural exercises and they’re great, but I tried to do the wall clock and shoulder exercises and my left shoulder and arm went numb for the first time. That feels like progress to me because I didn’t realize until then that my left shoulder has a kink in it, like it wants to freeze. Should I keep doing the stretches? Is it normal for things to get more numb at first?

This is such a good post, thank you. I definitely have this upper cross but I think I’ve had it a very long time. I’m now 29 and work hunched over client (I tattoo) on a saddle stool for up to 2hrs at one time. Is a saddle good or should I try something different? I’be also noticed that burning pain between the scaps which can take your breath away. Will yoga help? Thanks again. Best wishes.

Thank you, Alexander Heyne! My shoulder pain was excruciating at times. I began feeling some improvement IMMEDIATELY with your two exercises. I’m definitely not 100%, yet, but the improvement keeps coming. Thank you again for giving me some relief.

I have a crazy sore shoulder. I just tried your excersise with your back on the floor and knees up and it hurt my neck like hell. It was like a tight muscle burn. I sit at a desk at a computer studying documents all day. It’s my job. What do I do. I’m taking a whack of drugs muscle relaxers pain killers using heat and cold. I’ve usedan a soft stress ball to try and work it out, I have even been cupped a few times. What do I do.